Tag: Lionel Taylor

Karl Mecklenburg among ex-Broncos players snubbed by Hall of Fame voters

Karl Mecklenburg, Louis Wright, Lionel Taylor and eight other Broncos players were snubbed by Hall of Fame voters in the senior category.

Karl Mecklenburg and 10 other former Denver Broncos players were named senior candidates for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class last month. Voters have since narrowed the pool of 183 nominees down to 60 candidates, and no former Broncos players advanced in the voting.

Mecklenburg, linebacker Tom Jackson, safety Dennis Smith, wide receiver Lionel Taylor, returner Rick Upchurch, cornerback Louis Wright, receiver Bob Scarpitto, defensive lineman Michael Dean Perry, running back Sammy Winder, defensive lineman Lyle Alzado and defensive end Rich Jackson will all have to wait at least another year for a chance to reach Canton.

There is still a chance that the Broncos could be represented in the 2025 class. In addition to the 11 senior nominees, Denver also had 19 modern-era players nominated this year, and Mike Shanahan is expected to be a top candidate in the coach category.

Broncos candidates for Hall of Fame

  1. Coach Mike Shanahan (expected)
  2. WR Rod Smith
  3. C Tom Nalen
  4. K Jason Elam
  5. G Mark Schlereth
  6. LB Bill Romanowski
  7. DL Neil Smith
  8. WR Demaryius Thomas
  9. CB Aqib Talib
  10. WR Wes Welker
  11. RB Clinton Portis
  12. WR Brandon Marshall
  13. RB Glyn Milburn
  14. CB Dré Bly
  15. TE Vernon Davis
  16. DL Jamal Williams
  17. LB Keith Brooking
  18. RB Jamaal Charles
  19. DL Ted Washington
  20. DL Simeon Rice

The Hall of Fame’s selection committee will trim the list of nominees this month before announcing semifinalists and finalists later in the fall. The 2025 class will be announced before Super Bowl LVIX next year.

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Full list of 30 former Broncos nominated for 2025 Hall of Fame class

The Broncos have 30 former players nominated for the 2025 Hall of Fame class, and Mike Shanahan is expected to be a top coach candidate.

Earlier this week, the NFL announced 19 former Denver Broncos players have been nominated for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class as modern-era candidates.

Those 19 players join a previous list of 11 senior candidate nominees who were announced earlier this month, giving the Broncos 30 total players who have been nominated for next year’s Hall of Fame class. Here are the full lists.

Broncos modern-era HOF candidates

  1. WR Rod Smith
  2. C Tom Nalen
  3. K Jason Elam
  4. G Mark Schlereth
  5. LB Bill Romanowski
  6. DL Neil Smith
  7. WR Demaryius Thomas
  8. CB Aqib Talib
  9. WR Wes Welker
  10. RB Clinton Portis
  11. WR Brandon Marshall
  12. RB Glyn Milburn
  13. CB Dré Bly
  14. TE Vernon Davis
  15. DL Jamal Williams
  16. LB Keith Brooking
  17. RB Jamaal Charles
  18. DL Ted Washington
  19. DL Simeon Rice

Broncos senior HOF candidates

  1. LB/DL Karl Mecklenburg
  2. LB Tom Jackson
  3. DB Dennis Smith
  4. WR Lionel Taylor
  5. WR/R Rick Upchurch
  6. CB Louis Wright
  7. WR Bob Scarpitto
  8. DL Michael Dean Perry
  9. RB Sammy Winder
  10. DL Lyle Alzado
  11. DE Rich Jackson

Former Denver coach Mike Shanahan is also expected to be nominated for the 2025 Hall of Fame class in the coach category.

The Hall of Fame’s selection committee will trim the list of nominees in mid-October before announcing semifinalists and finalists later in the fall. The 2025 class will be announced before Super Bowl LVIX next year.

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Karl Mecklenburg among former Broncos nominated for Hall of Fame

Karl Mecklenburg headlines the list of former Broncos players nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2025 class.

Following the enshrinement of senior candidate Randy Gradishar this year, 11 more Denver Broncos legends are now candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame announced 183 senior nominees for the 2025 class on Tuesday and do-it-all-defender Karl Mecklenburg is joined by linebacker Tom Jackson, safety Dennis Smith, wide receiver Lionel Taylor, returner Rick Upchurch, cornerback Louis Wright, receiver Bob Scarpitto, defensive lineman Michael Dean Perry, running back Sammy Winder, defensive lineman Lyle Alzado and defensive end Rich Jackson on the ballot.

Former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan is also expected to be a candidate once again this year in the coach category. Shanahan’s chances of getting in might be improved now that coach and contributor categories have been separated.

As for senior players, Mecklenburg, Jackson, Smith, Taylor, Upchurch and Wright all have impressive resumes and they are all members of the Broncos Ring of Fame. Because he was a versatile playmaker in Denver’s 3-4 defense, Mecklenberg might have the best chance to get in among the team’s senior candidates.

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Making the case for 10 Broncos who should be in the Hall of Fame

Randy Gradishar appears to be on the verge of reaching the Hall of Fame, but these Broncos players continue to be overlooked by voters.

The Denver Broncos are represented by 10 former players and late former owner Pat Bowlen in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and another former player will likely join them in Canton next year.

Former Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar was named a senior finalist for the Hall of Fame last August, and he seems likely to be elected as a member of the 2024 class in January. Even with Gradishar seemingly on the verge of getting in, though, Denver remains underrepresented in Canton.

Two months ago, 16 former Broncos were named among 173 modern-era nominees for the 2024 Hall of Fame class. That list of nominees was narrowed down to a list of 25 semifinalists announced Tuesday and not a single Denver player made the cut.

Granted, many of the modern-era semifinalists this year are more than deserving — Antonio Gates, Julius Peppers, Dwight Freeney and Devin Hester among them — but the Broncos also have many deserving players who have been overlooked for years, and they are now one more year removed from possible enshrinement.

Here’s a quick look at ten Denver representatives who should already be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.